Canadian sit-skier's life is 'one big comeback'

Canada's Shauna Maria Whyte skis toward a sixth-place finish in the women's IPC Para-Nordic World Cup in the Callaghan Valley.

Photograph by: Mark van Manen
, Vancouver Sun

WHISTLER — A fractured spinal cord left her a paraplegic. A broken sled in Turin cost her a shot at a first medal in her third Paralympics. And broken ribs forced her out of January’s world para-nordic championships.

The one thing that never seems to break, however, is Shauna Maria Whyte’s resolute spirit.

Sure it’s a cliche. The athlete with a disability as a paragon of perseverance.

Only a few of them, however, come with as delightful a disposition as the 41-year-old from Hinton, Alta., whose braided pigtails and occasional giggles project a child-like innocence.

After breaking those ribs five weeks ago when she crashed during training in Norway, the home country of her partner, she had the “luxury” of sitting and watching Eurosport TV for a few days.

“In a way, it was fantastic because I saw Canadians coming out of the woodwork and having tremendous results,” she said Thursday after her sit-ski race at the IPC Para-Nordic World Cup. “What a team for next year! That really helped me overcome breaking my ribs.”

Given the injury, Whyte wasn’t at her best on a sun-splashed Thursday in the Callaghan Valley, finishing sixth out of a field of seven in the women’s sit-ski five-kilometre cross-country race.

But a woman who had 11 podium finishes in 2006-07 came to this World Cup with no expectations.

“Instead of being so extremely focused on being on the podium, which I normally am — and that takes a lot of energy, I’m able to come here and see the corners and the places where I’m able to make up time for next year.”

Whyte returned to the circuit this year after missing most of the previous two seasons for the birth of daughter Gabriela, now 17 months. She was anxiously looking forward to worlds in Finland before suffering that injury.

“I got cut off by a tourist who thought he would be faster than a sit skier,” said Whyte. “That’s a common problem actually with sit skiing. People see a person with a disability and they think ‘Oh, they’re pretty slow.’ They don’t realize that we’re not as slow as we look.”

She lost her balance trying to avoid the other skier and fell about 20 feet off a cliff, breaking her ribs when she hit a post.

“It happens to the best of us,” she said with matter-of-fact rationalization. “My life is turning into one big comeback.”

That comeback will be greatly enhanced if she can get the new ski sled she needs.

At Turin, while in a bronze medal position in the 10K biathlon, the $6,000 ski sled paid for by herself, family and friends, snapped where a support connected to the skis.

She’s currently using her sled from the Nagano 1998 Paralympics — basically an X-shaped frame with a seat attached to cross-country skis. Built of steel and aluminum, it weighs about five kg, more than double that of her Russian, Ukrainian and Belarussian competitors. She’s trying to scrape together the up to $8,000 that will be needed to build a lightweight titanium sled.

“I’m so motivated,” she says. “If I have to go home and sell all my CDs, that’s what I’ll do. One of the wonderful things about Canadian athletes is that we race for cookies. We’ll do anything.”

Sit-ski sleds have to be custom made to adapt to the different disability levels and body positioning of athletes. As the 25 men and the seven women in the class came through the finish area Thursday, it was remarkable to see how unique each sled was.

“Some people have stumps that are a little longer, some have different injuries,” says Canadian coach Kaspar Wirz. “There are a lot of small nuances in the sled that can make a big difference.

“You have to have trust in a builder … because you take two pounds off your sled, you maybe jeopardize the sturdiness of the sled. If you skimp a little bit on the weight, what do you give up? Will it hold up after a crash?”

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.